MacKinnon anxious to rejoin Moose mates

Team Canada head coach Steve Spott talks with forward Nathan MacKinnon during practice at the IIHF world junior hockey championship in Ufa, Russia, on Friday. (THE CANADIAN PRESS)

AS TIRED as he is, Nathan MacKinnon is desperate to get back in the Halifax Mooseheads’ lineup.

The 17-year-old centre from Cole Harbour finally arrived back in Nova Scotia on Monday after a gruelling trip from Ufa, Russia. He and the rest of the Canada world junior team had to endure a long delay in London, England, after their connecting flight to Toronto was cancelled. But that was just one of the glitches in their journey.

“It was brutal,” MacKinnon said on Tuesday morning. “We had a 12-hour layover in London and then we got to Toronto at 3a.m. My flight back to Halifax didn’t leave until 10:30 so I didn’t really get much sleep that night.

“We didn’t really have enough time to go anywhere during the layover so I just stayed at the airport and waited for my flight. It was definitely a long one.”

But despite the taxing trip and massive jet lag, MacKinnon reports he is feeling surprisingly fresh. He’s so fresh, in fact, he tried to persuade Mooseheads general manager Cam Russell to let him play in Wednesday’s road game against the Bathurst Titan.

“I was so tired (Monday) night that I got a really good sleep so I think that will help me get back on track quicker,” MacKinnon said.

“My first game will be on Friday (at home against Blainville-Boisbriand) but honestly, I’d want to play sooner but Cam won’t let me. I’m not even going to ask him, I know he won’t let me. I would play against Bathurst but I’m really looking forward to playing on Friday. I’m really excited to get back with the team.”

MacKinnon is coming off a bittersweet experience at the world juniors. He said he enjoyed every minute of his Team Canada experience and soaked up as much as he could of the Russian culture. But losing to the United States in the semifinals and then in overtime to Russia in the bronze-medal game was hard to swallow.

“It’s tough,” MacKinnon said. “We didn’t want that outcome. We really wanted a medal, especially a gold medal. It was really tough losing the semis and then having to refocus for the bronze-medal game. But I think we did a good job in that game. Obviously we wanted to win and I thought we battled hard but it didn’t work out in the end.

“It’s a really tough tournament. I see that more than ever after going there. Growing up as a kid, I expected Canada to win gold every year and I still think that. But at the same time, these teams are exceptional. They have tons of talent and anyone can win at that tournament. It’s just the small details that make a difference. I thought our biggest problem was those small details. We didn’t execute on a few plays that really cost us in the semifinal game.”

And from a personal standpoint, MacKinnon had to get used to a limited role with Team Canada after playing in all
situations for the Mooseheads during the first half of the QMJHL season. He also played out of position on the wing a lot of the time.

“It was really different but I got used to it pretty quickly,” he said. “And honestly, when I made the team, I wasn’t sure what my role would be but I was just happy to make it. It took a couple games to get used to not going out there every other shift or on the power play. It was definitely an adjustment. But I had a lot of fun in the tournament and definitely took a lot of positives away from it.”

Now that he’s back in Halifax, MacKinnon sounds hungrier than ever to tear up the Quebec league. He could hardly contain his enthusiasm for the stretch run coming up.

“It’s been a month away from home,” MacKinnon said. “Being away from all the guys, I definitely missed them all. They all did a great job with a few guys out of the lineup. I’m really looking forward to getting back Friday and trying to help the team out.

“I’m really excited for the second half. Last year, I don’t think I played that well in the second half. I think this year I’m really ready to go and ready to prove I can be a second-half player and continue that into the playoffs. Along with everyone else on the team, we’re very focused and we’re ready to do some damage.”